Winding-machine



W. F. SMITH.

WINDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1915.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

3 SHEETSSI'IEET I.

W. F. SMITH.

WINDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 915.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' A/ky W. F. SMITH.

WINDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. a, 1915,

1,862,643, Patented Dec. 21, 1920. v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

fig. 4. 5 g a".

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. SMITH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

WINDING-MACHINE.

Application filed November To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in W'inding-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to winding machines, and more particularly to machines for winding tinsel tape for use in switchboard cords which are formed of a plurality of tinsel threads stranded together.

The object of this invention is to produce a machine for forming such tinsel threads by applying a strip of tinsel tape uniformly and smoothly around a core or body spirally, whereby a plurality of such threads,

when stranded together and covered with braid, will be practically free from abrasive surfaces likely to cause rapid deterioration of the cord when subjected to use.

In accordance with one feature of this invention, means is provided for applying the tape smoothly with a definite pitch and maintaining said pitch constant by causing the core to travel in a straight line at the point of application of the tape, and by providing a constant ratio between the rate of travel of the core and the winding head.

In accordance with another feature of this invention, means is provided for applying a uniform and sensitive tension to the tape spool in such a manner that it will readily respond to changes in the speed of the winding head. This is accomplished by employing a flexible brake-band and tensioning means in engagement therewith of such a nature that the tension thereon decreases as the speed of the winding head increases due to the action of centrifugal force,the'

tension being greatest when the head is traveling at its lowest speed and least when the head is traveling at its maximum speed.

A still further feature of this invention is the provision of means whereby the ten sion and torsion effect on the core may be localized at the point of application of the tape by leading the core around a series of grooved rollers.

This invention will be fully understood from the following detailed specification and the three accompanying sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side view of a Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

8, 1915. Serial No. 60,286.

machine embodying this invention; Fig. 2 1s a perspective view of a winding head; F1g. 3 s a cross-sectional view of the head shown in Fig. 2; Fig. i is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the winding head; Fig. 5 1s a view of Fig. t on line 55; Fig. 6 is an end view of a tinsel serving attachment; Fig. 7 is a sectional view of Fig.6 on line 7-7; and Fig. 8 is a side View of the tinsel serving attachment.

Similar reference characters are used throughout to designate the same parts.

In the drawings, 'A is a housing of the driving members for actuating the winding head shown in Fig. 2, and B is a housing for the driving members for actuating capstan 11. The driving members for the winding head and the capstan are direct connected by means of shaft 12, to which is keyed grooved pulley 13 which may be beltconnected to a motor or any suitable source of power supply. The winding head, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is carried by a hollow shaft 14: which is gear-driven by suitable means inclosed in housing A. Casing 15 and serving attachment 16 are rigidly con nected to shaft 1 1, the former being secured thereto by means of threads 17 and screw 18, and the latter by means of screw 19. A tape spool 20, from which the tape 21 is unwound, is mounted within casing 15 and held on carrier 22 by means of spring members 23. The carrier 22, on which tape spool 20 is mounted, rotates on roller bean ings 24L of standard construction and is free to rotate independently of the rest of the winding head. The extension on the end of carrier '22 is engaged tangentially at two points diametrically opposite by means of an endless brake-band 25, which may be of linen or any suitable material which is quite flexible, and which will respond readily to changes in revolutions per minute of the winding head. The brake-band is shown in Fig. 5 drawn around standards 26. The tension of the brake-band is adjusted by means of adjusting screws 27 and 28, brakeblocks 29 and 30 and spiral spring 31, shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Adjusting screw 27 engages brake-block 29 directly, which in turn bears against brake-band 25, while pressure is imparted to brake-block 30, which bears against brake-band 25, by means of screw 28 through the compression-spring 31. The

purpose of using the compression spring in conjunction with brake-block 80 is to re duce the tension on the brake-band, when the head is running at high speed, by the action of centrifugal force which tends to throw the brake-block outwardly against the compression spring and away from the brakeband. A tensioning device of this kind is highly desirable for use in connection with a machine for winding delicate materials, as it greatly facilitates the peration of the machine at starting and at the same time permits the winding head to be run at a high rate of speed. By using a tensioning device, as above described, it has been found possible to apply tinsel tape to a core in a satisfactory manner with the winding head traveling at a speed of 10,000 revolutions per minute.

The casing which incloses the tape spool carries a plurality of rollers along which the tape travels in passing from the tape spool on to the core. In an opening in the side of casing 15 is mounted parallel to the shaft a stationary roller 82. Preferably, this roller shall be of glass or other material. offering a minimum amount of resistance to the passage of the tape thereover. At approximately ninety degrees (90) from roller 32 is mounted on the periphery of casing 15 a small roller 33 which is mounted radially with respect to the periphery of the casing and is secured in position by means of screw 34. A third roller 35 is mounted in a recess in the periphery of casing 15 with the axis thereof approximately at right angles to the axis of roller 83.

Through the hollow shaft 14 extends a hollow stationary tube 36 with an extension 37 attached to its free end. The extension 37 carries on its free end a roller 38 which is secured thereto by means of screw 39.

The serving attachment 16, which is secured to the free end of shaft 14, carries two parallel adjustable rollers 40 and 41, which are mounted parallel to the axis of the winding head. The rollers are supported by conical pins 42, 42 and 43, 43, which engage the ends of the rollers. Pins 43, 43 are held in a block 44, which is in turn secured to the shell of the serving attachment by means of screw 45. Rollers 40 and 41 are free to rotate and are adjusted by means of screws 46, 46 and screws 47, 47, which engage pins 43, 43. A roller 48, over which the tape travels in passing on to the core, is secured to the serving attachment by means of screw 49. The slit in the end of the serving attachment is for the purpose of facilitating the threading of core 50 therethrough. The core 50 passes through the serving attachment parallel and tangent to the surface of rollers 40 and 41. Rollers 40 and 41 are mounted with just sufiicient space between them toallow the tape to. passtherethrough.

flatwise and prevent the core from being drawn through between the rollers by means of the tape. In order to apply the tape uniformly and with a definite pitch, it is essential that the angle between the tape and core at the point of application thereof be maintained constant, and to accomplish this requires that the core be definitely centered on the axis of the serving head, which in turn follows that rollers 40 and 41 carried by the serving attachment must be mounted so that an imaginary line drawn from center to center of rollers 40 and. 41 would fall slightly off center of the serving attachment.

In front of the winding head and close thereto is mounted on housing B a member 51 carrying grooved rollers 52 and 53 around which the tinsel thread passes as it leaves the winding head. By means of these rollers and the roller 38 the torsional effect resulting from wrapping a comparatively stiff metal tape around a soft, pliable core is localized within a short length. In case this is not done there is a tendency for the twist in the core to cause kinks which are then fed through the serving device and result in an uneven and unsatisfactory product.

hen the machine is in operation, the core 50 is unwound from a spool, which may be supported in any suitable manner, and passes over roller 54, thence down and around grooved roller 55, thence through hollow tube 36 over and around guide roller 38, thence along rollers 40 and 41, at which place the tape is applied. The tape 2.1 is drawn from tape spool 20 out through an opening in the periphery of casing 15 over roller 32, thence along the periphery of the casing to and around roller 33, thence over rollers 35 and 48, thence between rollers 40 and 41 and around. the core 50. From this point the tinsel thread travels over grooved roller 52, thence down and around grooved roller 53, thence back over roller 52 in a separate groove thereof, thence over and around capstan 11, thence over grooved roller 56, and thence onto a spool carried by a suitable take-up device.

The winding head and the capstan are gear-driven and direct connected so that the ratio between the two in revolutions per minute is constant.

In order to apply the tape to the core smoothly and uniformly, it is essential that the core be caused to travel in an absolutely straight line at the point of application of the tape. This is accom lished by providing means for supporting t e core at the point where the tape passes on to the core, and by providing tensioning meansfor maintaining the core taut at this point. On account of the delicate nature of the core material used in the construction of tinsel thread, it is essential. that the torsion on the core be localized as. much as possible at the point where the tape passes on to the core. This is accomplished by giving the core a complete turn around stationary roller 38, which is mounted close to one end of rollers 40 and 41 and thence around rollers 52 and 53, which are mounted close to the other end of rollers 40 and 41. This localizes the torsion on the core within very close limits, and tends to prevent twisting of the core at the point of application of the tape.

The core in passing along the surface of and parallel to roller 40 or 41, dependent upon the direction of rotation of the winding head, is held in a straight line by the tension applied thereto and by means of the tape which passes through between rollers 40 and 11 and around the core on the oppo site side. If the core were unsupported at the point of application of the tape, the tape would tend to draw the core out of its straight line of travel and the tape would be applied with a cone efiect, that is, one edge would extend inwardly while the other edge would extend outwardly, thereby producing a very rough tinsel thread and one of high abrasive properties. By applying the tape smoothly and uniformly to the core, it improves the conductor life mate rially and also produces a smaller tinsel thread, which makes possible a reduction in the size of the switch-board cords.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for applying a wrapping to a core, a winding head, a tape spool carried thereby and provided with an opening in the center through which passes the core to be wrapped, and meansfor causing said core to travel in a straight line at the point of application of the tape, said means consisting of a plurality of rollers having their axes parallel to the direction of travel of said core.

2. In a machine for applying a wrapping to a core, a winding head, a tape spool carried thereby and provided with an opening through which passes the core to be wrapped, a serving device and a plurality of rollers carried by said serving device for guiding the tape on to the core, said rollers being so located as to support the core and insure its traveling in a straight line at the point of application of the tape.

3. In a winding head, a rotatable tape spool, a carrier for said tape spool, a brake band engaging said carrier and tensioning means for said brake-band responsive to the action of centrifugal force, whereby the pressure of the brake-band on the carrier decreases with increase in speed of rotation of said winding head.

4:. In a winding head, a rotatable tape spool, a carrier for said tape spool, a brakeband engaging said carrier, tensioning means for said brake-band, and spring pressed means responsive to the action of centrifugal force, whereby the pressure of the brake-band upon the carrier decreases with increase in speed of rotation of said winding head.

5. In a machine for applying a wrapping to a core, a winding head, a stationary tube passing therethrough, a roller carried on the end of said stationary tube, a tape spool, a capstan, and a plurality of grooved rollers mounted intermediate of said roller and said capstan over which said core is passed thereby localizing the torsion of said core at the point of application of the tape.

6. In a winding head, a tape spool carried thereby, a serving device, a plurality of parallel rollers carried by said device, a core passing through said device and parallel to and supported by said rollers, and a tape passing between said rollers and around said core on the opposite side.

7. In a winding machine, a winding head, a tape spool carried thereby, a stationary tube passing through said winding head, a core passing through said tube, and means for localizing the torsion on said core at the point of application of the tape, said means including a roller located adjacent to the core on either side of the point of application of the tape, each of said rollers being encircled by the core.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this third day of November, A. I).

WILLIAM F. SMITH. 

